Frances Powell Cheney

Frances P. Cheney died peacefully at the Centerville family home she and her husband, Hal Cannon Cheney, restored in the 1980s.  A talented water color and pastel artist, seamstress, and creator of all things beautiful, her involvement with family and friends spanned multi-generations and communities as she traveled, visited and took up residence with her children, grandchildren and relations across the states and abroad.

A spunky, determined, definitely opinionated woman, Frances loved discourse, parties and gatherings of all sorts. She was a devout Christian and lover of humanity, with a special soft spot for children and babies. She was active in later years in the AWANA programs at Kaysville Bible Church and Evangelical Free Church of Salt Lake City.
 
Frances was born in Bountiful, Utah, the youngest child of Mary Jane Thomas and Parley Powell's five children. She grew up in Bountiful and married Hal, a Centerville native, when he was serving in the US Navy in 1942. They took a bus from San Diego and married in Yuma, Arizona while Hal was on leave, just prior to him shipping out to the Pacific. They lived in Salt Lake and Bountiful during the early years of their marriage at the conclusion of the war. Hal attended the University of Utah on the G.I. bill, and entered a career in Education while they began raising their family of three–Rowland, Mary Sue and Lilli. In 1953 they migrated to Walnut Creek, California where Hal continued his career in Education, and their fourth child, Jennifer, joined the family. They were both deeply involved in their Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek neighborhood, community and schools for the 40 odd years they lived there.

Frances was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 55 years; daughter Mary Sue Dreher; son Rowland Hal Cheney and daughter-in-law, Cheryl Lewis Cheney.

She is survived by daughters, Lillian (Harry) Brown of Atascadero, CA and Jennifer (Steve) Trost of Taylorsville, UT; 16 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren.

Services will be held at Russon Brothers Mortuary, 295 N. Main in Bountiful, on Saturday March 25, 2017 at 1 p.m. with graveside services to follow at Centerville Cemetery.